8 rounds until the start of the English Premier League heralds a more exciting and competitive season
After 8 rounds of the start of the English Premier League, there are indications that this season will be more competitive, with Tottenham and Arsenal sharing the lead, defending champion Manchester City falling to third place, Liverpool’s fourth place improving, and the points difference between the top four teams getting closer to tenth in the standings.
At a time when Tottenham is taking confident steps under the leadership of its new Australian coach, Ange Postecoglou, and providing the best start in the English Premier League since the 1960-1961 season, Arsenal (last season’s runner-up) led by its Spanish coach, Mikel Arteta, led the way after the fatal victory over Manchester City with a goal. Clean on Sunday evening, a message to competitors that he will fight fiercely for the crown this season.
Tottenham, which finished eighth last season, has not lost any Premier League match so far, and leads the competition on goal difference over Arsenal, which has lost once, while City is two points behind them.
Postecoglou made a start with Tottenham that no one expected (EBA)
Postecoglou stressed that his players “want to change the fate of this club, and this is what they are trying to do on the field.”
While Arteta believes that his team has broken a major barrier in its quest to win the title for the first time since 2004, after ending a series of 12 consecutive losses and 15 in total in the league against City, thanks to a goal by Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli.
For the first time since December 2015, the Gunners tasted victory against City, which explained the loud reaction of their fans, numbering nearly 60,000, in the completely full stands at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal previously beat City on penalties in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium last August, a victory they also celebrated with great fanfare, similar to Sunday’s victory. But the latest result carries much greater importance, as it came at a time when the two teams are competing strongly again for the league title, after a recent season in which City succeeded in snatching the title from Arsenal’s “mouth” in the final meters.
The London club was 8 points ahead at the top of the standings last April, before collapsing in recent weeks, enabling City to win the title for the third year in a row, also on its way to achieving the treble (the FA Cup and the Champions League).
Instead of letting this experience discourage them, Arteta and his players armed themselves with renewed enthusiasm in seeking to put an end to the sterility of the club searching for the Premier League title for the first time in nearly 20 years.
It was noteworthy that Arsenal pushed City back strongly in the final minutes of the second half. He was looking for the winning goal, while the defending champion seemed satisfied with one point.
Arsenal’s thirst ultimately yielded a dramatic goal, which Arteta interpreted as a decisive moment in the club’s progress. He explained: “It’s a wonderful feeling.” You can feel it. We had gone many years without beating them; But now we have beaten the best team in the world without a doubt.”
He added: “We did it in a wonderful way; Because there were moments when we had to suffer. “It sends a message to our team to continue to believe in what they are doing.”
He continued: “I don’t know if that is an obstacle; But it was something we needed to get past. We lost to them in two different ways last season. But the team showed real maturity today, and this comes from experience.”
Arsenal, second in the standings, enters the international break ecstatic to share the top spot with Tottenham on goal difference alone.
The bitter memories of 15 league matches without a victory over City will now go down in history. Arsenal showed that they are capable of facing Spanish coach Pep Guardiola’s star-studded team from now on.
Arsenal was able to reduce City’s tally in the match to only 4 shots, and also did not allow the visitors to dominate the midfield through flexible passing and movement.
Arteta said: “Manchester City constantly asks you questions, and threatens you in certain areas. “You have to be really aware, it’s not easy to chase them for 15 or 20 minutes.” He added: “I think the players were excellent, and everyone was dancing in the dressing room afterward!”
On the other hand, City lost two consecutive league matches for the first time since December 2018, and its defeat on Sunday was the third in the last 4 matches in all competitions, which is something that Guardiola and his men must be aware of in order to correct the course.
In response to a question about the reason for City’s sudden decline after winning its first 6 league matches this season, Guardiola indicated that the absence of his compatriot, suspended midfielder Rodri, was a major factor in this imbalance. The Spanish player missed the last matches that City lost, while the English team, with his presence, won against its German host Leipzig 3-1 on Wednesday, in the second round of the group stage of the Champions League competition.
“This is a statistic,” Guardiola said. We cannot deny it. We make players control more passes; But Arsenal is ferocious in these areas. Rodri is an important player; But he is not here for the reason everyone knows.”
Guardiola does not see any harm in coming back from behind in the title race, after his team did it against Arsenal last season. He said: “No team has ever won four consecutive titles in the English Premier League. It’s October. Maybe it’s a good idea to get behind them and try to catch up with them. Last season we were far behind. I have known these players for many years, and what we did together. “It is an honor and a privilege to watch them run and fight.”
The previous rounds also revealed the many problems that Manchester United suffers from, despite returning in the result in a way that many did not expect against Brentford, on Saturday, and turning a goal deficit into a 2-1 victory thanks to two goals from Scottish substitute Scott McTominay in stoppage time.
Ten Hag must take advantage of the international break to correct the course of Manchester United (EBA)
United suffers from massive absences, especially in its defense line, which was absent from the main four for long periods. The team that finished third last season was unable to reach the desired rhythm, and it seemed that it was on its way to its fourth loss in the league against organized Brentford, before the substitutes caused a coup within the ranks of the opponent.
United’s form improved with Danish Christian Eriksen replacing Brazilian Casemiro between the two halves of the match. But the lack of harmony between the players was evident, and the attacks were limited to individual attempts and long-range shots.
It seemed that striker Rasmus Hoylund was the only one willing to put in the physical effort needed to win, and his good movements played a role in both of McTominay’s goals. But this victory does not cover up the team’s problems.
For his part, Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola is threatening to become the first to be fired this season if he is unable to improve the results of the team that is ranked 19th and penultimate, without any wins in 8 matches. Bournemouth sacked its coach, Gary O’Neill, after he helped them stay in the top flight last season, and was keen to sign Iraola, who had achieved success with Spanish club Rayo Vallecano. But the Spanish coach failed to achieve the desired results. The club owners may have to make a decision during the international break after the 3-0 loss to struggling Everton.
In addition, after coach Gareth Southgate excluded him from the England squad again, Raheem Sterling proved that he is capable of giving after playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s reeling 4-1 victory over Burnley.
Chelsea seemed on the way to new disappointment this season, after falling behind in the result by a goal. But Sterling’s attempt resulted in an own goal, which Chelsea equalized, before he received a penalty kick in the second half to complete his team’s comeback in the result. He then scored a goal to conclude an unforgettable evening.
2023-10-10 01:37:45
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